Comments on: Chronic Ankle Instability

By: John Cage

John Cage — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:50:30 +0000

I’m a little late to the discussion, but I just got back from Chicago with the Secret Society Luthor-Tala-et al and the Hourman-Mr. Terrific-et al packs, and not one of them stands on their own. Most will stay up with a little tinkering, but I really could’ve used a few more clear bases thrown in. Supergirl is the worst — I’d have to post a picture of how bad she looks, especially since, in addition to her warped legs, her skirt is kind of sideways as well.

Not that I’m complaining since I’m glad to have the lot of them (7 new figures, plus new versions of Elongated Man and Supergirl, and the Obsidian figure I couldn’t find when it was first out), but as far as standing goes this lot makes Dove and Forager look good.

Have a good day.
John Cage

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:24:18 +0000

Don’t make me pull over!

Bottom line: it sucks that we have to go to such lengths to keep these figures upright. Sorry to provoke another argument that’s really just another sign of frustration with this problem.

By: Maniac Joker

Maniac Joker — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:58:45 +0000

LOL. If that’s what you want to believe.

However in that thread you said your figures never fall. A moot point I suppose now, but even in that thread it never made much sense when you said a figure could “stand” until it fell. You really need to work on your comprehension skills.

By: j1h15233

j1h15233 — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:02:38 +0000

Man learn how to read. That thread was only talking about your figures being able to stand. Mine are standing. Some of them are leaning forward like the Joker, others are on one foot like my latest Yellow Lantern custom, some have arms out, some have bent knees (old articulation), others lean one way or the other but they’re standing. Do they always stay that way? No. Sometimes they start to move back and lose their stance I put them in and fall over but that thread was about figures not standing at all and mine do.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:11:29 +0000

Well, I guess if my collecting was based solely on what figures stand the best I’d have a cabinet full of Weeble Woobles.

Thanks for all the comments, folks!

By: Maniac Joker

Maniac Joker — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:02:52 +0000

Not what you said in several threads a while back, but at least now we know the truth. Not that anyone really believed you had magic figures that didn’t fall over anyway.

By: J1h15233

J1h15233 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:41:21 +0000

I never once said they don’t occasionally fall over. Almost every one of my figures are standing. They don’t all look good or even when they’re standing and they do occassionally fall over. The truth remains the same.

By: Emerald

Emerald — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:36:41 +0000

It could be “recycled” plastic, but the durometer could just as easily be a result of a semi-rigid catalyst. Matching plastics colors with different physical properties has always been a problem (many many toys suffer from this and you don’t have to go far to find one), although it is true it is less so in recent years with digital calibration. Sometimes the dyes can match perfectly, and yet different lighting, surface quality can make make parts not match. Just the physics of it.
If the cost is more for a rigid urethane, which I doubt is anything if not minimal, that still leaves little excuse for Mattel and this problem. I still bet the overwhelming reason is shaving cost.

By: Zodach

Zodach — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:43:12 +0000

I started collecting JLU a few years ago, but I sold them all on eBay because this drove me nuts. I really like the style of the figures, but their inability to stand up on display is what keeps me from giving Mattel more of my money.

By: DanMan

DanMan — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:48:40 +0000

I would pay MORE for sturdier figures. I don’t know why they don’t spend the extra money to make the product acceptable.

By: Maniac Joker

Maniac Joker — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:09:33 +0000

Interesting to hear that J1 say his figures fall over as he specifically said earlier this year that they never did. Ah the truth shall set you free.

By: Jason Geyer

Jason Geyer — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:23:47 +0000

The reason the plastic is soft is most likely it is full of regrind, which makes it much cheaper but of a lower durometer.

Virgin plastic is best, but more expensive It has nothing to do with matching colors.

By: MisterPL

MisterPL — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:45:39 +0000

Same here, Jeff. I quit the line because I preferred to show off my collection on shelves rather than a storage bin. I drilled holes in the feet just so I could try stands but even that didn’t work. Every spring would mark the start of JLU Pickup, when I’d guess which characters I just heard toppling off my display.

When even Mattel can’t display them in an attractive fashion, you know it’s going to be more frustrating than fun. This is why I’m looking forward to DCIH 2.0. Same diverse character selection, better articulation (except for the female characters, of course), and much better display value.

By: Emerald

Emerald — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:42:22 +0000

All they’ve ever had to do to fix this problem is cast the legs in a rigid, non-bendable plastic. It would make them heavier at their base as well as non-flexible and they would probably stand without assistance.
The reason they probably never have done this is because it is harder to match up different plastics colors and this line has always been done on the cheap. I’m sure their tooling costs we’re covered long ago. I think this is the only reason this line has survived — they are essentially dollar-store quality items, pennies to produce, with a much much higher perceived value tacked on.
Despite no media vehicle, Mattel probably looked at the bottom line and said keep making them as long as we can – the margin is too good. My kids have about 5 identical Superman figures and don’t need any more than collectors do and yet they keep making them.
This line has always defied retail gravity….

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Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:05:39 +0000

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By: Jason Geyer

Jason Geyer — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:24:51 +0000

This amazingly doesn’t help that much unless you go way up the length of the leg. When I made my Kilowog trophies for work last year I put a 2″ metal pin in their legs, and then put the exposed end into a wooden base, and then epoxied the whole thing down and clamped it for a day just to make sure these things were solid.

The result? Most of them are leaning at a crazy angle, with their feet firmly flat on the base still. The pins have bent with them, or have forced their feet to separate from the wood. But the ankles are now just bent beyond belief. So unless you put a really stiff rod in there, and go high up, they’re still going to give in to gravity.

I think Mattel needs to hire new engineers.

By: Veil1

Veil1 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:47:09 +0000

I’m seriously thinking about inserting the smallest of metal pins into the feet to keep the ankles from bending….you just have to be super careful not to send the pin out the side of the leg.

By: xrmc20

xrmc20 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:43:28 +0000

Great photos–I really enjoyed reading about and seeing the modifications Mattel has made. I have sold extras on ebay, and given extras to kids, but I always keep those clear stands that come with the ladies. I’ve built up a solid supply.

I’m sure Grodd is mocking all of us.

By: j1h15233

j1h15233 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:10:22 +0000

This is a very annoying problem. I can get most of them to stand but it doesn’t always look good and it doesn’t always last. Some of them can stand perfectly fine for weeks and then I’ll come home one day and there they are on the floor with 20 friends they knocked over. The day that this line dies, I have a perfect display idea in mind that will make this problem irrelevant but until then I’ll keep adding new figures and keep picking them up when they bite the dust.

By: Hourman

Hourman — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:03:36 +0000

I have a box full of my entire JLU collection waiting to go on eBay because I just got fed up with the cheap plastic and the constant, CONSTANT falling over.

And stick tack or museum putty doesn’t help anyway, Dan. Not for JLU figures. They still fall over – just … more … slowly …

By: Brainlock

Brainlock — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:55:06 +0000

I clicked on this blog, thinking it would be a general DC/ML ankle joint complaint. Then I see it’s yet another one about JLU’s inability to fight that harshest mistress, gravity.

The last several 6pks I haven’t even bothered to open. when I found the new Supergirl/Terrific 6pk last week, I went with the set that had the straightest legs for her. The other two were even more bent than that pic of Obsidian up there. Tala didn’t seem to have that problem, afaik, but others in her set did.

Maybe they need to switch to a new plastic or just retool the damn legs to be a hair thicker at the ankle so we won’t have this problem?

By: chad

chad — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:07:55 +0000

marvel legends also has the same problem with some of the figures not be able to stand like the justice leque figurs and also the same thing with dc classics for think when matel is working on the body molds they to keep costs in budget have to use less strenghth for the legs thus why the legs making some of the line weak

By: jzachery

jzachery — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:04:05 +0000

I hear ya. I keep my figures in a wooden armoire in my room. And sometimes when I’m just sitting watching TV or laying in bed about to fall asleep, I hear someone topple. LOL. For some, I’ve tried everything, putty, stands, leaning, etc. and they still won’t stand. My worst offenders are Forager and Saturn Girl. I love the line, and will always collect it, but it is highly annoying.

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:01:01 +0000

Yet another reason why the JLU line is inferior to Marvel Legends.

By: David

David — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:55:31 +0000

Hahahaha…Grodd. Love that guy!

By: Jeff Cope

Jeff Cope — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:54:40 +0000

The inability to stand is why I dropped this line a few years back.

By: superfriend

superfriend — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:43:29 +0000

A great review of a continuing problem.
.
The sad thing is, Mattel knows about the standing / falling issue and despite frequent requests has done nothing about it. Maybe they know we will buy the characters anyway, so why bother spending money to fix the problem. Its still sad.